They met in 1965 through some common friends in Delhi. As gorgeous and charming as Sharmila was, Tiger instantly got attracted to her. He was apparently unaware of her success in Bollywood but her beauty & maturity bowled him over. The lady though, took her own sweet time to reciprocate the feelings. It was only after 4 years and a refrigerator later that she agreed to Pataudi’s proposal. But then real issues followed.

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A great many doubted their marriage and thought that they would soon go their separate ways. But they proved everybody wrong by sticking together through thick and thin with each other for 42 long years. Pataudi was smitten by Sharmila’s beauty and vivacity while he had her with his charm and great sense of humour. They had a lot of space and respect in their relationship which is a necessary ingredient for the success of any marriage.

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Although they both were stars in their respective fields, this did not affect their relationship or how they handled it even one bit. They lived with Patuadi’s mother in Delhi instead of staying in Bombay on their own. Sharmila although took a break from movies after the marriage, it was based on her own decision instead of anybody coercing her to do so. And she started on her own whim too.

Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL

Even though the Nawab is no more today, their love is eternal and continues to inspire others. They’re still the royal couple of India.